Little Mermaid Jr.

Don’t try to tell one stubborn little mermaid named Aeriel that the seaweed isn’t greener on the other side of the surface.

Director Michael Kelley’s Blake Middle High Summer Theatre Institute brought the Little Mermaid and her sisters, her dad King Triton, Sebastian, Flounder, Scuttle and company to Blake’s mainstage to cap off their four-week 2015 summer session. The Theatre Institute, one for middle high and one for high school students (browse the Legally Blonde photos after you’re finished here!) introduces budding and experienced actors and theatre technicians to a lot of the aspects of creating a show from set construction to singing, dancing and acting, to a taste of directing their own skit, to some improvisational comedy in front of the hundreds in the audience.

And there’s one seriously unpleasant sea witch, Ursula, who makes deals with unsuspecting people and then collects – and sings about – those poor unfortunate souls.

Rehearsal and performance photos are combined in story order for Little Mermaid for a little better continuity. Lighting was more dramatic for the shows when I was tethered to the back of the theatre, but I was able to roam around freely during rehearsals for closeups in more even lighting. I hope the mix presents you or your actors and actresses in everyone’s best ‘light’.